How does the body treat giardiasis?

I just need it for a school paper and can't find it anywhere. How does the body treat itself of giardiasis without medication? I've read that asymptomatic cases don't need meds. Then how is it removed.

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Sorry but giardiasis is harmful, it causes abdominal pain and can cause anemia. So it definitely needs treatment. And the body can not get rid of it by itself.
It produces an inflammatory response in the intestines that causes malabsoption and can lead to fail to grow in children.
It definitely needs treatment. (+ info)

Giardiasis disease in humans, will it go away on its own if left untreated?

Giardiasis disease in humans, will it go away on its own if left untreated?
If you say it goes away on its own, why not say the range of timeframe this is likely to happen.

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It may eventually resolve on its own, but it makes you absolutely miserable, and you will wish you had gone to the doc for a flagyl prescription! (+ info)

Giardiasis in humans, will it go away on it's own if left untreated?

Giardiasis in humans, will it go away on it's own if left untreated?
If you say yes, why not be more specific in terms of time and consequences of letting the body fight it off on its own?

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Although this is the most common intestinal infection due to parasitism in the United States, it is unwise to allow it to become a fulminant infection hoping to be one of the few for whom it resolves spontaneously. Your stool also remains infectious and if you are a food handler or provide medical care, you are contagious to others. In addition, a few people can develop widespread infections and complications which can include permanent damage to the gallbladder following cysts embedding there.
The diagnosis is quite simple, and can generally be made from history or from a simple stool sample for ova and parasites. The treatment is any one of a number of generic and inexpensive drugs for about $5. to $10. Often the drug of choice is Flagyl (metronidazole) There is no rational reason not to treat. (+ info)

can giardia or giardiasis infection go away on its own after a while?

or will it always be present in the intestine for as long as treatment is not taken. Can it kill an animal or human if it goes untreated? I've read that many cases in humans are undiagnosed and that makes me wonder if it just goes away by itself or if it kills the host?

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Many people go undiagnosed because they have no symptoms.

Accurate diagnosis requires an antigen test or, if that is unavailable, an ova and parasite examination of stool. Multiple stool examinations are recommended, since the cysts and trophozoites are not shed consistently.

Colonisation of the gut results in inflammation and villous atrophy, reducing the gut's absorptive capability. In humans, infection is symptomatic only about 50% of the time, and protocol for treating asymptomatic individuals is controversial.[3] Symptoms of infection include (in order of frequency) diarrhea, malaise, excessive gas (often flatulence or a foul or sulphuric-tasting belch, which has been known to be so nauseating in taste that it can cause the infected person to vomit), steatorrhoea (pale, foul smelling, greasy stools), epigastric pain, bloating, nausea, diminished interest in food, possible (but rare) vomiting which is often violent, and weight loss.[3] Pus, mucus and blood are not commonly present in the stool. In healthy individuals, the condition is usually self-limiting, although the infection can be prolonged in patients who are immunocompromised, or who have decreased gastric acid secretion.[3] People with recurring Giardia infections, particularly those with a lack of IgA, may develop chronic disease. Lactase deficiency may develop in an infection with Giardia, however this usually does not persist for more than a few weeks, and a full recovery is the norm.

Cats can be cured easily, lambs usually simply lose weight, but in calves the parasites can be fatal and often are not responsive to antibiotics or electrolytes. Carriers among calves can also be asymptomatic. Dogs have a high infection rate, as 30% of the population under one year old are known to be infected in kennels. The infection is more prevalent in puppies than in adult dogs. This parasite is deadly for chinchillas, so extra care must be taken by providing them with safe water. Infected dogs can be isolated and treated, or the entire pack at a kennel can be treated together regardless. Kennels should also be then cleaned with bleach or other cleaning disinfectants. The grass areas used for exercise should be considered contaminated for at least one month after dogs show signs of infection, as cysts can survive in the environment for long periods of time. Prevention can be achieved by quarantine of infected dogs for at least 20 days and careful management and maintenance of a clean water supply.
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In otherwise healthy persons, symptoms of giardiasis may last 2 to 6 weeks. Occasionally, symptoms last longer.

Several prescription drugs are available to treat Giardia . Although Giardia can infect all people, young children and pregnant women may be more susceptible to dehydration resulting from diarrhea and should, therefore, drink plenty of fluids while ill.

Treatment is not necessary when the child has no symptoms. However, there are a few exceptions. If your child does not have diarrhea, but is having nausea, fatigue (very tired), weight loss, or a poor appetite, you and your health care provider may wish to consider treatment. If your child attends a day care center where an outbreak is continuing to occur despite efforts to control it, screening and treating children who have no obvious symptoms may be a good idea. The same is true if several family members are ill, or if a family member is pregnant and therefore not able to take the most effective anti-Giardia medications.

what are the clinical features of viral diarrhoea&giardiasis?

what are the clinical features of viral diarrhoea&giardiasis?

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Viral gastroenteritis is a leading cause of severe diarrhea in both adults and children. Many types of viruses can cause gastroenteritis. The most common ones are:
Rotavirus, the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in children. It can also infect adults exposed to children with the virus. Outbreaks may also occur in nursing homes.
Norwalk virus, which is common among school-age children.
These viruses are often found in contaminated food or drinking water. Symptoms of viral gastroenteritis usually appear within 4 to 48 hours after exposure to the contaminated food or water.
Those with the highest risk for severe gastroenteritis include the young, the elderly, and people who have suppressed immune systems.

Giardiasis is infection with the flagellated protozoan Giardia lamblia. Infection can be asymptomatic or cause symptoms ranging from intermittent flatulence to chronic malabsorption. Diagnosis is by identifying the organism in fresh stool or duodenal contents or by assays of Giardia antigen in stool. Treatment is with metronidazole, tinidazole, or nitazoxanide; alternatives in-clude furazolidone and paromomycin. (+ info)

can Giardiasis be transmitted through the mouth?

question kinda states it all... i am in alaska visiting.. and drank from a river that turns out to have this.. idk if i have it or not.. im just curious... if the parasite can be transmitted through saliva or the mouth...
thanks
no dumb answers please.

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Not sure what you mean by 'transmitted by mouth' but can you get Giardia by drinking water from a contaminated stream, absolutely YES.
if you start to develop stomach of digestive problems I would make sure to let your doctor know you were drinking from water with Giardia bacteria so they can be sure to check for it.

How can you avoid contracting the following diseases: Amoebic Dysentery, Crytoporidiosis, Giardiasis?

Can giardiasis (giardia intestinalis) a microscopic parasite last a long time?

I was diagnosed with giardiasis (giardia intestinalis) a microscopic parasite back Feb. of ’06 and it was supposedly cured back then. Every once in awhile, I will have the same symptoms of it, can I still have the parasite after all this time?

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It could be possible if you did not get appropriate treatment or are somehow getting re-infected.

Most infected subjects are asymptomatic, and most infections are self-limited. Acute symptoms include acute watery diarrhea, chronic diarrhea with malabsorption and weight loss, and abdominal cramping.

However, chronic infections, marked by chronic diarrhea, steatorrhea(fatty stools) and malabsorption, can occur and can last for weeks to months.

Giardia has one of the simplest life cycles of all human parasites. The life cycle is composed of 2 stages, the trophozoite, which exists freely in the human small intestine and the cyst, which is passed into the environment. No intermediate hosts are required. Upon ingestion of the cyst contained in contaminated water or food, excystation occurs in the stomach and duodenum in the presence of acid and pancreatic enzymes. The trophozoites pass into the small bowel where they multiply rapidly, with a doubling time of 9-12 hours. As trophozoites pass into the large bowel, encystation occurs in the presence of neutral pH and secondary bile salts. Cysts are passed into the environment, and the cycle is repeated.

Flagyl is the treatment of choice.

Please see your doctor if you think you concerned with your symptoms. (+ info)

Giardiasis :T or F > Surving a case of it lessens or eliminates the possibility of getting it again?

Typo :It should of course be "Surviviing "

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Having Giardia infection does nothing to prevent further infection. There are no protective antibodies produced. (+ info)

what is the mode of transmission of giardiasis epidemics?

Most infections result from fecal-oral transmission or ingestion of contaminated water. (+ info)